Naeger v. Naeger

542 S.W.2d 344, 1976 Mo. App. LEXIS 2200
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 28, 1976
Docket36626
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 542 S.W.2d 344 (Naeger v. Naeger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Naeger v. Naeger, 542 S.W.2d 344, 1976 Mo. App. LEXIS 2200 (Mo. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

ALDEN A. STOCKARD, Special Judge.

• At the mutual request of Helen L. Nae-ger and Gerald J. Naeger their marriage of seventeen years was dissolved. The trial court awarded maintenance and child support and directed a division of the marital property. The husband has appealed. We affirm.

The trial court awarded custody of the four children of the parties to the wife, respondent, and decreed that the husband pay to respondent the sum of $45.00 per week as support for each child, and $90.00 per week as maintenance for respondent. There is no issue on this appeal as to the award of custody.

Appellant was engaged in the retail sale of mobile homes. In addition to the house in which the parties have lived, other property had been accumulated during the marriage. The marital property was divided by the trial court as follows:

To the Husband
Estimated Value
A trailer sales lot or lots $ 30,600.00 to $ 31,500.00
The stock in C & H Mobile Homes, Inc. $ 44,078.17 to $ 52,649.00
All debts of C & H Mobile Homes, Inc., owed to appellant in amount between $21,000.00 and $30,000.00. (Since appellant owns all the stock in C & H Mobile Homes, Inc., we do not include this amount in determining the total award to appellant.)
General Electric Reserve Account $ 9,737.00
Bank of St. Louis Reserve Account $ 11,004.09
Bank of St. Louis Reserve Account for C & H Mobile Homes, Inc., not reflected in corporate financial statement $ 6,954.24
General Acceptance Corporation Account $ 300.00
Community Federal Savings Reserve Account for C & H Mobile Homes, Inc., not reflected in corporate statement $ 11,213.96
TOTAL: $113,887.46 to $123,358.29
To the Wife
The marital home — valued at $19,500.00 to $35,000.00, but subject to a deed of trust in the amount of $6,958.88 $ 12,541.12 to $ 28,041.12
*346 To the Wife
Forsyth Acres — valued at $31,900.00 to $45,000.00, but subject to a deed of trust in the amount of
$19,500.00 $ 12,400.00 to $ 25,500.00
Household furnishings (No value stated)
Founder’s Mutual Fund Certificate $ 1,105.00
Cash $ 27,920.00
TOTAL: $ 53,966.12 to $ 82,566.12

Appellant was also directed to assign to respondent as trustee for the children several insurance policies, and he is to pay the premiums until each child reaches the age of eighteen years at which time he is relieved of paying one-fourth of the premium due on each policy.

Appellant first contends that the trial court erred in awarding child support in the amount of $180.00 per week, maintenance in the amount of $90.00 per week, attorney fees in the amount of $1,800.00, and “expenses” in the amount of $267.84 “for the reason that said allowances are in excess of [his] ability to pay and in excess of the need of the children at the present time.” The item of “expenses” consisted of “one-half of cash advances by [respondent’s attorney] in [respondent’s] behalf in this action.” Appellant requests that this court enter or direct a judgment “appropriately decreasing such allowances.”

We note that appellant does not contend that the award to respondent for maintenance is in excess of her needs. The charge of excessiveness is limited to the award of child support. In its determination of the amounts for child support the trial court should consider the reasonable needs of the children for food, clothing, the expense of education and medical attention, and the ability of the father at the time the award is made to meet those needs. Larison v. Larison, 524 S.W.2d 159 (Mo.App.1975). In this determination “both his present and past earnings” may be considered, Page v. Page, 516 S.W.2d 537 (Mo.App.1974), but the award is not to be greater than the husband’s ability to pay. McM v. McM, 506 S.W.2d 14, 16 (Mo.App.1974).

Respondent testified at length concerning the needs of the children and what those needs' would cost. The burden of demonstrating error and the incorrectness of the judgment below is upon the appellant. Suesserman v. Suesserman, 539 S.W.2d 741 (Mo.App.1976). However, we find nothing in appellant’s brief in either the statement of facts or in argument concerning the needs of the children or which in anyway indicates that the award for child support is in excess of the reasonable needs. Appellant does not challenge any particular item testified to by respondent, but only asserts in his brief that “The expenses submitted by [respondent] were obviously exaggerated.” This allegation does not prove itself. Appellant has totally failed to demonstrate that the award for child support was in excess of the reasonable needs of the children.

This leaves only the contention that the total award for maintenance, child support, attorney fees, and “expenses” is in excess of appellant’s ability to pay. We note that he does not contend that he should not be required to pay the attorney fees for respondent, or that the award of $1,800.00 as attorney fees is excessive if the total of it and the other awards are within his ability to pay.

Appellant first argues that the court erred in considering evidence of his earnings for the calendar year 1972. Apparently his position is that this was too remote. However, as previously noted, in its determination of appellant’s ability the trial court was entitled to consider past earnings.

We find it extremely difficult to determine from the record appellant’s net worth *347 or his income with any degree of confidence. He owned all the stock in C & H Mobile Homes, Inc. The tax return for the year ending October 31,1973 showed corporate assets in excess of $190,000.00 and sales of $1,042,415.00. The net worth of the corporation as of October 31, 1972 was $52,-649.00 but an operating loss for the following year would reduce that amount to approximately $44,000.00. The corporation was also shown to owe appellant from $21,-000.00 to $30,000.00. For tax purposes it may be important that the money is owed to appellant, but since he owns all the stock of the corporation the value of the debt owed to him would be reflected in the net worth of the corporation. Two bank accounts were carried in the name of the corporation, but appellant asserted that they were his personal assets. They totaled $20,741.02. Appellant also owned one-half interest in Holiday Mobile Homes, Inc., which he sold just prior to the trial for $5,000.00.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Zimmerman v. Zimmerman
29 S.W.3d 863 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2000)
In Re the Marriage of Smith
892 S.W.2d 767 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1995)
Hubbs v. Hubbs
870 S.W.2d 901 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1994)
Holland v. Holland
865 S.W.2d 867 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1993)
Ibrahim v. Ibrahim
825 S.W.2d 391 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1992)
Marriage of Dove v. Dove
773 S.W.2d 871 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1989)
Deardorff v. Bohannon
761 S.W.2d 651 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1988)
Franke v. Franke
747 S.W.2d 202 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1988)
Clark v. Clark
718 S.W.2d 649 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1986)
Ingebritson v. Ingebritson
677 S.W.2d 924 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1984)
Atwood v. Atwood
664 S.W.2d 673 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1984)
Marriage of Childers v. Childers
652 S.W.2d 311 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1983)
In Re Marriage of K.B.
648 S.W.2d 201 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1983)
Marriage of Moser v. Moser
642 S.W.2d 688 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1982)
McKnight v. McKnight
638 S.W.2d 789 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1982)
Lewis v. Lewis
637 S.W.2d 207 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1982)
Bull v. Bull
634 S.W.2d 228 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1982)
Metts v. Metts
625 S.W.2d 896 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1981)
Niederkorn v. Niederkorn
616 S.W.2d 529 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1981)
Marriage of Oberkrom v. Oberkrom
608 S.W.2d 449 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
542 S.W.2d 344, 1976 Mo. App. LEXIS 2200, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/naeger-v-naeger-moctapp-1976.